GCSC approves, will sign contract today with Keymark for transportation center

Tuesday, May 23, 2017
The intersection of Veterans Memorial Highway and Tennessee Street, looking south, will see a transformation in the coming months.
Banner Graphic/NICK WILSON

After more than a year of city council, planning commission and zoning board proposals, workshop deliberations and special public-input hearings, the Greencastle school board is now ready to finalize plans surrounding its transportation facility project.

Approving a motion to accept the low bid of $2,939,000 from Terre Haute-based company Keymark Construction and Development Wednesday during its May public session, the board was visibly happy with the unanimous decision to move forward -- a decision that symbolized the beginning of a new phase in the project.

"We have done a lot of processing since we rejected some bids on Jan. 17," GCSC Superintendent Jeff Hubble said, noting that several bids received between Jan. 17 and now were rejected. "We've come to the conclusion that bidding the transportation center out again would not be in our best interests because of the time and the amount of increased labor and materials since January."

The future transportation facility entrance on Tennessee Street, looking west. The existing entrance will be expanded to 41 feet.
Banner Graphic/NICK WILSON

The board's motion to approve Keymark also authorized Superintendent Hubble and others to sign the contract with the construction company on Wednesday, May 24.

"If all goes well with the city tech-review on Wednesday, we can begin building as early as Thursday," Hubble theorized, emphasizing that construction will not begin on Thursday, May 25. Rather, the corporation will have no remaining road blocks for the project and can begin construction as soon as possible.

"I never thought we'd make it this far," board member Bill Tobin joked.

The site of the upcoming transportation facility for Greencastle schools will be located at the intersection of Veterans Memorial Highway and Tennessee Street, extending for a total of 29.22 acres.

When the project was first created in the fall of 2015, it was determined by various officials that a property capable of housing such a facility must be at least six acres in size, be located within city limits, have ease of access with minimal railroad interference and contain an operations center.

The board found just that in a property at the west-end of Tennessee Street, ideally located near Greencastle High School, Greencastle Middle School and the administrative offices on nearby Percy Julian Drive. The 29.22-acre property, purchased from Hanson Aggregates earlier this year, meets all of the criteria listed by city and school officials.

Though the Tennessee Street property will have more land area than is necessary, the transportation facility, capable of comfortably housing 36 buses, will sit on a 10.49-acre area with the rest property to remain undeveloped, which was referred to during previous meetings as "room to grow." However, the project would have to come back before the Plan Commission for rezoning in the event the school wishes to develop the area.

The entrance to the upcoming GCSC transportation facility at the intersection of Veterans Memorial Highway and Tennessee Street.

The property will also house a 100-by-55 foot office building with a drivers' room and a two-bay shop.

Only the acreage adjacent to State Road 240 will be used for the project. The remainder will stay in its natural state with trees and wildlife potentially intact and the only traffic that will use Tennessee Street will be the bus that picks up students who live along that street.

For more information, those interested may call the corporate offices at 653-9771.

In other business:

* Superintendent Hubble presented the monthly superintendent's report. He stated that the recent LED lighting project was partly responsible for such drastic cuts in electricity costs. An estimated 62-percent savings in lighting costs alone helped save the district $16,650 on its April electricity bill, which previously ranged to upwards of $50,000 each month. He included that a rebate from Duke Energy has been confirmed in the amount of $145,841.

Hubble also congratulated several GHS athletes and scholars who have totaled more than $100,000 in college scholarships, including seven full-rides.

Finally, Hubble updated the board of Friday's graduation ceremonies, saying the air conditioner at the McAnally Center is already "on full" and should be ready for Friday.

Coached by Nicole Burkhalter (right), English Team members are (from left) Ben Gellman, Kelly Hansen and Alex Weliever.
Banner Graphic/NICK WILSON

* Two academic teams were recognized for their recent accomplishments. The GHS English Team, which was represented Wednesday by coach Nicole Burkhalter and students Ben Gellman, Kelly Hansen and Alex Weliever, captured its fifth-straight state title for Class 3 at the 2017 Indiana Academic Super Bowl competition at Purdue University. The GMS Math Team, which was represented Wednesday by coach Jane Roberson and students Stephen Dombrowski, Casey Crary and Maieasha Rashid, won the won the Indiana Academic Super Bowl Junior Division math competition on April 27.

Coached by Jane Roberson (right) GMS Math Team members are (from left) Stephen Dombrowski, Casey Crary and Maieasha Rashid. Not pictured: Jacob Carter, Ben Huff, alternates Autumn Costin, Hunter Miller and Iris Mackenzie.
Banner Graphic/NICK WILSON

* The board approved an overnight trip to Indiana Wesleyan University for members of the GHS boys' basketball team. The board also approved an overnight trip to Anderson University for members of the GHS boys' soccer team.

* A contract with Karen Wilcox was approved for blind and low-vision services; a contract with Michelle Riehle was approved for occupational-therapy services; and a contract with Susan Strom-Wilkins was approved for speech and language services.

* Several items were approved to be placed on the Items of No Value list. They included a printer, a stage curtain and a myriad of folding tables/chairs.

* The board approved the hire, transfer, resignation, termination and retirement of several employees Monday. They were:

Life Skills teacher Evan Wilson, Band Director Annette Munoz and Choir Director Jake Gadomski
Banner Graphic/NICK WILSON

Certified: Mary Traub, retirement as seventh-grade physical education/health teacher; Autumn Ramsey, resignation as second-grade teacher at Deer Meadow Primary; Valerie Nees, resignation as family and consumer science teacher at GMS; Deb Rode, retirement as sixth-grade language arts teacher at GMS; Erin Blaydes, transfer from sixth-grade science teacher to seventh-grade physical science/health teacher; Wendi Evans, transfer from life skills teacher at GHS to fourth-grade special education teacher at Tzouanakis Intermediate; Jessica Stockton, approved as KIDS Program coordinator at Tzouanakis; Susan Gillen, approved as KIDS Program teacher at Tzouanakis; Carmen Cross, approved as KIDS Program teacher at Tzouanakis; Maria Stierwalt, approved as KIDS Program teacher at Tzouanakis; Jessica Tomasino, hired as special education teacher at Tzouanakis; Jake Gadomski, hired as choir teacher at GHS; Annette Munoz, hired as band teacher at GHS; and Evan Wilson, hired as life skills teacher at GHS.

Classified: Vicky Weir, retirement as bus driver; Shyonna Partin, termination as second-shift custodian at GMS; Kathy Brown, resignation as cafeteria assistant at Deer Meadow; Roberta Grider, resignation as substitute cafeteria assistant; Melissa Maginity, approved as KIDS Program instructional assistant at Tzouanakis; Amy Lewis, approved as KIDS Program instruction assistant at Tzouanakis; Lydia Tharp, hired as KIDS Program instructional assistant at Tzouanakis; Laurie Ferguson, Andra Guyer, Candice Pelfrey, Casey Rossok, Martha Sutherlin, all approved as summer bus cleaners; Carol Clark, hired as inter-school mail delivery specialist and custodian at the administration offices; Jill Nichols, hired as long-term temporary substitute instructional assistant for Jenny Heithaus at Tzouanakis; and Janet Mellinger, transfer from substitute bus driver to bus driver.

ECA: Alisa Isaacs, resignation as student council sponsor at GMS; Matt Helmer, Michael Richardson, Lonnie Lawhorn and Levi App, all hired as assistant football coaches at GHS; Renee Marsteller, hired as head cheer coach at GHS; Cody Mitchell, hired as assistant boys' soccer coach at GHS; Courtney Smith, approved as seventh and eighth-grade volleyball co-coach at GMS; J.D. Sims, hired as head boys' soccer coach at GHS; Maria Stierwalt, approved as Spanish enrichment sponsor at Tzouanakis; and Jeff McCall, approved as volunteer assistant football coach at GHS.

Substitutes: Samantha Jones, hired as substitute bus driver, Rhonda Hughes, hired as substitute cafeteria assistant; and Marilyn Winters, hired as substitute teacher.

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  • The intersection for the new transportation facility is in my opinion going to be a nightmare for morning and evenings.

    These times will in all likely hood require traffic cops on Veterans Memorial Highway to eliminate traffic accidents.

    Lets face the fact that when a line of buses are lined up, they will all pull out one after another and not yield to traffic which has the right-of-way.

    Just my opinion.

    -- Posted by Lookout on Wed, May 24, 2017, at 11:52 AM
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